Setting Stones
by SirKitch
Summary: What happens, when someone comes back? Someone... who shouldn't even be real.
1. Preface

He had to move he had to move fast. Hi's robe blew behind him as he ran as fast as he could. The air would have brushed his hair back if his face wasn't blocked by the mask he was wearing. No he had to move, he couldn't think, just move. '_I have to stop this, I have to stop this.' _ That's all he was saying to himself, he pulled his arms behind him, two lengths of fire to push him faster through the city.

Damn it they would be faster, He felt something push against his back, and he looked back, his golden eyes peeking through the black mask. His eyes got wide when he saw two people behind him. "What…?" he was confused was his a trick?

"Rowan, you have to stop them!" one of them shouted, and the rush of air slammed against his back again, with the combination of his fire bending he got into the inner ring of the city. Only to be stopped by two royal guards. They looked surprised, but could do nothing before the smallest of the three was on top of them. And they fell, paralyzed, to the floor.

"Sorry," she whispered softly to them, and went to charge after her companion.

On the other side of the city, the assassins made their move; a knife getting flung through the air, towards the un-expecting Fire lord.


	2. Chapter 1

_**I do not claim to own, the show "Avatar: The Last Air Bender", nor the idea of the show. This is merely fan made.**_

The royal guard was going berserk when three assassin-dressed, people jumped towards the Fire lord, the tallest one seemed to be frozen in mid-air before all the people of the Fire Nation, he knife at the end of his boot, he did a 360 turn, and the knife flew back in the direction that it came. It's owner not able to move before it pierced his heart. Right after the knife was of he sent two huge waves of Fire in the same direction; which was quickly followed by a wall of earth, and a huge gust of wind. Four other's joined the knife owner.

The Fire bender stopped his body frozen in an attack stance, his left fist rolled into a ball which held a fire ball; his eyes darted around the walls. The earth bender stood straight her eyes darting as well. The air bender stood naturally calm.

The guard however was not calm, they stood around the three of them their fist ready to attack. Fire lord Zuko looked at the three of them in disbelief, his eyes wide; Aang who stood next to him, his eyes falling on the older air bender before him, his eyes wide as well. Toph was the one who broke the silence, with her wild laugh. Katara looked at her, about to chew her out when Zuko walked to the fire bender. He looked calm, be Toph could feel his heart beating, and she looked worried. He put his hand on either side of the males face , and he made no attempt to stop the fire lord. Zuko pulled the mask off, and sighed, before embracing the male in a hug.

Aang looked on in disbelief, but it was Iroh who was the most surprised, and Toph knew it. "Don't have a heart attack pops."

Katara looks at all five of them, before talking, "Who is he?"

But then, the entire Fire nation was on knees.

It was Iroh who spoke, finally catching his breath, when he spoke she looked at him in the most disbelief of the world, "My grandson."

"What?" It was Sokka's time to speak, "I thought… I mean… I don't understand."

"Maybe we should talk inside." It was Rowan who spoke this time. All of them nodded in agreement, and the royal guard stood to stand.

"No need, stay here." They looked, at the Fire Lord but obeyed him.

Zuko took the lead, with Mai holding his hand; behind them Suki and Sokka, then Katara and Aang, Toph, behind her Iroh stood beside his grandson, taking up the rear where the yet to be introduced Earth and Air bender.

_**I know this was short, but I'm not going to push my luck, I'm going to take this as slow or as fast as I can. **_


	3. Chapter 2

When they got to the Royal Palace, Zuko lead them through it's hall, into the council room. Taking a seat in the head seat, he let his guest pick where they would sit. Mai sat at his left, Aang to his right. Katara Sat next to her brother who sat on the other side of Mai, with Suki between him and her. It was here that he brought his grandson into his arms.

"It's good to see you again Rowan."

"And you, though, I do wish it had been under… different circumstances."

Everyone was wide eyed, the only way anyone had recognized him, and was how much he looked like his father. Did Iroh know him? What was this? When no one spoke, Aang took it upon himself.

"Uncle, what is this?"

Iroh sighed and, "Looks like we have a lot of explaining," he said, and took a seat, the three 'visitors' remained standing.

"Have a seat?" The Fire lord offered.

"No, no thank you." Rowan spoke up, "We should start with introductions, my name is Rowan, you can call me nothing but Rowan." He stated straight forwardly, he pointed to the girl earth bender, "Her name is Aloon, you can call her Moon or Aloon." He pointed to the Air bender, "His name is Gyatso."

"What?" Aang spoke, and stood, "Is this a joke, you are mistaken."

"There is no joke Avatar, his ancestor died fighting off the Fire Nation, and I will not have anyone criticize his name." Rowan said back swiftly.

"Rowan, clam yourself, he was just stating that my great grandfather was one of his friends; in fact his only friend if I'm correct."

Aang, nodded and sat, now deep in thought, and motioned for Rowan to continue; which he did.

"Before about an hour ago we were part of a… origination, which snuck into and destroyed what we could, of the Fire Nation. Simple things, destroying shipped docks, taking out food sources, freeing massager hawks, things like that. We were careful; when we attacked we made it look natural, we put a holes in the bottom of ships to make it look like it had hit a rift." He sighed, and looked into the eyes of the Fire Lord, his eyes seeming to burn, "We aren't killers, and we used to tell ourselves, that killing you off was just being you…"

"You talk like you aren't a part of the Fire Nation." Mai cut in, "You are a fire bender yes?" With a nod she continued, "You are the fire lords… distant cousin?" she looked disgusted.

"Yes, by blood."

"Mai, Let him continue his story"

She nodded and Rowan started off again.

"But then a man joined our fight… a man that … made the leaders believe that it was for the good of the war that more blood be spilt." He looked around the room before speaking, "That man's name is Jet."

Everyone let out '_what' _or a '_who'._

"I told him, that if he wanted to end the war, then he needed to end the blood shedding. I told him, that they were just fallowing orders. "He shook his head, "He wouldn't listen, and they made plans to invade, the Fire nation , on the Day of the Eclipse, but they couldn't get passed the Fire Nation Borders, and had to turn back." He shook his head again, Aloon dropped to the floor and started to cry. Gyatso slipped beside her and put his arms around her comforting her. "The main boat… was caught b-b-etween a fleet of Fire Nation Boats, and Jet ordered the boats to flee, they did. And he never left."

Katara was confused, and "I don't understand…" then it clicked, and she looked to the weeping person, and she wept with her, leaning into Aang. "Oh." She said between weeps.

"We were back in a different ship, with our leaders and they decided that his death was necessary to get away." It was Gyatso's turn to be disgusted. "I told them, that the word of a Blue Moon is one for all, all in one. They didn't listen. They never saw him as anything more than a tool. It's how they see everyone." He moved to the Fire Lord, "They wanted me to kill you, when I told them I couldn't, they planned around me, Gyatso's the only reason, I found out. That's the only reason you are alive." Zuko nodded.

"When did you meet my uncle?"

A frown played acrossed , Rowan's face briefly. " I meet him, when my father died. My mother brought me to him when I was a small child. She begged for him to raise me." This time a small played across his lips, "He did, I was raised right here." He said pointing around the room. "I came here when I was seven, I asked him what I was going to do, and my grandfather told me, that I was going to become Fire Lord, and end the war. But then I did something… I didn't."

"What?"

"I couldn't, I knew, I knew how your mother cared for you, I knew how your grandfather was, I saw things. Things that you never will. I knew! I knew that you had to be the one to end the war, not me. You had to make up for the mistakes of your father, I couldn't, and I would never be able to."

"I don't understand."

"Do you ever wonder WHAT happened, that night? When your father begged for his father to give him and you the throne? "

"No…" Zuko whispered.

"You father killed the Fire Lord." He smiled wide, "Your father killed the Fire Lord for telling him to kill you."

The room was silent; no one talked, no one moved, no one breathed. All the wondering, everything from the past left the room briefly.

"Wh-h-h-a-t-t?!" Zuko sputtered out.

"Your father, killed his father , to protect you."

"You're lying."

"I am not."

"My father doesn't love me."

"Your father is afraid to admit it."

"Wh-a-at?!" Zuko stood. "You are a liar!"

"Zuko." Someone said.

"Your mother, was to take the blame. She left the city, and acted as if she had killed him."

It was all a game to them. A game that Ozai had failed.

"Something went wrong, Ozai, he gave into the power of Fire Lord. And he didn't do what they planned. The plan rotten in the back of his head, and then he resented you, you who is wife cared so much for; you who he believe was the reason his father and mother where gone. He blamed you for his love you. He hated you because he loved you."

_**I know this is a bit weird, but it'll get better. I hope.**_


	4. Chapter 3

"You mean to tell me that you want me to believe that my father killed his father, let his wife take the blame and leave, and he blames me?"

Rowan stood there looking at Zuko with a _' yes idiot, I just said that_' look on his fac; instead he merely nodded, "I expect you to believe the truth. Think about it, he never really Resented you, he always looked at you I mean, until your mother left."

Zuko just sat there, thinking, before he spoke, "And, do you know where my mother is?"

Rowan shook his head, "No, But that's part of the reason I'm here." He sighed, and pinched the brim of his nose, "I don't know for sure, I mean, I might know." He rubbed his temples, his voice coming out in a mere whisper, "I think that Ursa… is underground."

He let the option sit in before speaking again, "You know like, Lake Laogai?"

Everyone in the room, nodded and Sokka spoke for the first time, "Yes, but what would be the point of that?"

"To hide."

Sokka nodded accepting that as a passable answer.

"Where?"

Rowan shook his head, "No idea."

"You still haven't told us the rest of the story" Suki said.

Rowan nodded and jumped back into the story, "When you where banned, I had to leave, as Granddad went with you so I gave up, trying to prove myself to myself, and I left the fire nation. It wasn't hard back then, people where trying to leave. The ship crashed on the bridge of the Earth Kingdom, and one of the refuges came to check on me." He smiled back to Gyatso, " After he talked to me for a little while, he decided to let me travel with him, the next month we ran into Blue Moon, and we joined. Now, five years later here I am, comforting my Second Cousin, the man in my spot." He laughed, and winked at Zuko.

Zuko smiled softly, before nodding his head, "I have yet to thank you, for-"

"Don't."

"What?"

"I said don't, you want to help me then don't."

"Fine, I won't."


End file.
